Metal working press with slide aligning mechanism



March 2, 1954 B, GREEN 2,670,676

v METAL WORKING PRESS WITH SLIDE ALIGNING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 20, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. 65 5. Gees/v Arraezveys L. B. GREEN March 2, 1954 METAL WORKING PRESS WITH SLIDE ALIGNING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 20 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. 55 5. GREEN ATTMNEYS' March 2, 1954 METAL WORKING PRESS WITH SLIDE ALIGNING MECHANISM File d Sept. 20, 1950 Patented Mar. 2, 1954 METAL WORKING PRESS WITH SLIDE ALIGNING MECHANISM Lee B. Green, Lakewood, Ohio Application September 20, 1950, Serial No. 185,878

2 Claims.

This invention relates to metal working presses of the type having a reciprocable punch slide and, more particularly, to a press of this kind having novel mechanism for insuring a parallel characteristic in the movement of the slide.

In metal working presses having a long punch slide, and particularly in hydraulic presses, it has been found necessary to provide mechanism for controlling the movement of the slide so as to prevent tilting or misalignment thereof and, as one of its objects, the present invention provides a novel arrangement of gearing constituting a simple, rugged and dependable mechanism for this purpose.

Another object of this invention is to provide slide alignment mechanism for a metal working press in which pairs of gears and pairs of racks form sets of gearing at opposite ends of the press and are connected by torque transmitting shaft means, and in which the gears of each pair are in mesh with each other and are disposed be tween and having meshing engagement with a pair of the racks.

A further object is to provide an improved metal working press of this character having housings at opposite ends thereof in Which the sets of gearing of the slide alignment mechanism are located.

The present invention also provides an improved press construction in which the slide is guided on upright columns of the frame and dependin end portions of the head of the frame have lateral projections extending into embracing relation to the columns and formstops for the downward movement of the slide.

Still another object is to provide a metal working press in which the depending end portions of the head of the frame define gear chambers at opposite ends of the slide and in which the sets of gearing of the slide alignment mechanism are located in such gear chambers.

The invention can be further summarized as consisting in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in detail and particularly set out in the claims hereof.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings,

Fig. 1 is an end and front perspective view of a metal working press embodying the slide alignment mechanism of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the press;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the press with portions thereof broken away;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken through the press substantially as indicated by section line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and v .7

Fig. 5 is another vertical section taken through the press on section line 55 of Fig. 3.

As one practical embodiment of the present invention, the drawings show the improved slide alignment mechanism applied to a metal working press Ill. The press It is hydraulically actuated and is of the long bed type in which such an alignment mechanism is especially useful for preventing tilting or misalignment of the slide during a working stroke thereof. The press It comprises, in general, an upright frame I I and a slide I2 reciprocably operable in such frame.

As shown in the drawings, the frame II comprises an elongated bed I3 of a generally rectangular plan shape and a correspondingly elongated I crown or head I4 connected with the bed and tioned above, and also form columns I5 and It supported thereabove by means of pairs of upright columns I5 and I6. The slide and bed I2 and I3 have adjacent substantially fiat faces I2a and I3a defining therebetween a die space H in which suitable die mechanism (not shown) may be located, including die and punch members adapted to be connected respectively with the bed and slide. The pairs of upright columns I5 and I6 connect the bed and head I3 and It, as menguide members on which the slide I2 is slidable.

For this purpose the slide is provided adjacent the-ends thereof with upper and lower guide sleeves I 9 and 20 through which the pairs of extend. At their lower ends I6 are rigidly connected with the bed I3 by being provided with shoulders I512 and Ilia which are drawn into clamped engagement with the upper surface I 3a of the bed by the columns I5 and 3 means of nuts 2I applied to the threaded lower ends I51; and I6!) of the columns. At their upper ends the columns I5 and I6 are provided with shoulders 22 having supporting engagement with the plate portion Ma of the head [4 and clamped h r a ainst by means of nuts 23 applied to the threaded upper ends I50 and I of the columns. The head I 4 comprises an elongated top portion I8 extending laterally between the pairs of upright columns I5 and I5 and end portions 24 and 25 depending from said top portion and located outwardly of the pairs of columns and also outwardly of the end faces 26 and 21 of the slide I2. The laterally extending top portion I 8 of the head I4 constitutes a beam or truss formed by the substantially horizontally extending plate portion Ida and the spaced longitudinal and transverse ribs 28 and 29 integrally connected with such plate portion and depending therefrom;

The slide I2 is here shown as comprising a laterally elongated box-like metal member having a bottom wall 30 whose lower face forms the above-mentioned punch engaging surface I202. The slide l2 also includes the above-mentioned upright end walls 26 and 21 and a pair of upright front and rear walls 3! and 32, and all of which walls are integrally connected with the bottom wall30. This slide is also provided with longitudinal and transverse ribs 33 and 34 internally thereof and integrally connected with the side walls. In addition to these ribs the slide is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced bars 35 extending laterally between the front and rear walls 3| and 32 and to which further reference will presently be made. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the ribs 33 and 34of the slide 12 are located only in the lower portion thereof such that the upper portion of the hollow .interior of the slide will define a clearances'p'ace or chamber 36 into which the depending rib portions 28 and 29 of the head l4 may extend when the slide is in an elevated position.

For actuation of the slide l the press H! is provided with a plurality of cylinders 38, in this instance six such cylinders, having their upper ends attached to the p1ate portion I la of the head l4 and fluid pressure responsive pistons 39 operable in such cylinders and connected with the transverse bars 35 of the slide by means of the piston rods 40 and the clamping nuts 4| applied thereto. Hydraulic fluid is adapted to be supplied to the cylinders under pressure by any suitable hydraulic pressure generating means, such as the motor driven pumping apparatus 42 shownin Figs. 1, 2 and 4 and which, in this instance, is mounted on the top surface of the plate'portion 14w ofthe head.

The slide alignment mechanism which constitutes the main feature of the present invention will be described next. This mechanism comprises sets of gearing 44 and 45 located at opposite ends of? the press and torque transmitting shaft means operably connecting these sets of gearing and here shown as comprising a pair of substantially parallel shafts 4B and 4! extending through the slide I2 longitudinally thereof. The gear set 44 comprises-a pair or racks 48 and 49 mounted on the depending end portion 24' of the head l4 and a pair of gears 50 and cooperating with these racks. Similarly, the gear set 45 at the opposite end of the press comprises a pair of racks 52 and 53 mounted on the dependingportion 25 of the head l4 and a pair of gears 54 and 55' cooperating with such racks.

The torque transmitting shafts 46 and 41 are rotatably mounted in the slide by being journaled in pairs of suitable bearings 56 and 5! incorporated in the slide structure, as. shown in Figs. 3

and 4. The gears 50 and SI of the gear set 44' are mounted in fixed relation on the respective shafts 46 and 4 at one end thereof and the gears 54 and 55' of the gear set 45 are mounted in fixed relation. on the respective shafts 46 and er at the opposite end thereof.

The gears 50 and 5| have adjacent points of their peripheries in meshing engagement with each. other as shown at 58 in Fig. 1, that is to say, these gears have meshing engagement with each other at a point between the axes of the shafts 46 and 41'. The gears 50 and 5! also having meshing engagement with the racks 48 and 43' at remote points of their peripheries, that is to sagatpoints located laterally outwardly of the axes of the shafts 46 and 41. Similarly, the gears 5t and! 55' or the gear set45' have meshing engagement with each other at a point between the axes of the shafts 46 and 41 as represented at 59 in Fig. 5, and have meshing-engagement with the racks 52 and 53 at remote points of their peripheries.

The racks 48 and 48 of the gear set 44 are mounted in relatively fixed upright relation on the depending end portion 24 of the head I4 and the racks 52 and 53 of the gear set 45 are mounted in relatively fixed upright relation on the depending end portion 25 of the head. The mounting. means employed for this purpose is substantially the same for both pairs of racks, and comprises a pair of clamping screws 60 for each rack as shown in Fig. 5. These clamping sorewsextendthrough slots 6| of an upright side wall of the depending head portion and are threaded into the body of the rack. The mounting means for each rack also includes a pair of vertically spaced internal lugs 52 formed on an upright sidewall of the depending end portion of the head and set screws 53 extending in threaded relation through these lugs and engageable with opposite ends of the rack. When the-clamping screws Gllhave been loosened, the set screws 63' can lee-adjusted to move the racks up or down individually to thereby produce a desired adjustment of the slide alignment mechanism or to'take up lost motion in the gearing.

From the construction and arrangement of the slide alignment mechanism as thus far described, it will be seen that the rack pairs of the gear sets 44 and 45 located at opposite ends of the press are mounted in relatively fixed relation on the frame, Whereas the gear pairs of these sets are movable up and down with the slide I2 and during such movement the gears roll on the racks with which they are in toothed engagement. Thus, when the slide 12 is moved downwardly during a working stroke of the die member carried thereby, the gears 50 and 5! will rotate in opposite directions with the gear 50 rotating in a clockwise direction and the gear 5! rotating in a counter' clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 1.

At the point of meshing engagement 5B of these gears with each other they will roll on each other as idlers. Similarly, the gears 54 and 55 at the opposite end of the press will roll on the racks 52 and 53 but since they are substantially rigidly connected with the respective gears 50 and 5| through the torque transmitting shafts 46 and 4'1; it will be seen that both ends of the slide will be constrained by the gears and racks to move at exactly the same rate regardless of an unequal distribution of the force being applied to the slide by the hydraulic cylinders 38.

If one end of the slide has a tendency to move at a faster rate than the other end of the slide, the gears at such fast moving end will be driven at an accelerated rate by their cooperating racks and will therefore transmit torque through the shafts 46 and 4'l'to the corresponding gears at the other end of the slide and such other gears cooperating with their racks will impart a similar rate of movement to that end of the slide. By such a transmission of torque through the shafts 46 and 41 from one gear set to the other, the two ends of the slide will be constrained to move at the same rate at all times.

As another feature of the present invention, the drawings show the depending end portions 24 and 25 of the head 14 as comprising housings 64' and 65 in which the respective gear sets 44 and 45 are contained. For this purpose the depending head portions 24 and 25' are of a hollow box-like form defining gear chambers 64a and 55a in which the gears and racks of the respective gear sets are located. The inner side walls of these gear chambers are formed by the end faces 26 and 27 of the slide l2 and the outer side walls are formed by movable plates or covers 641) and 652), here shown as hinged covers, which are adapted to be opened to afford access to the gear chambers and the gearing contained therein.

The construction of the frame H of the press so that depending end portions 24 and 25 of the head I4 define these gear chambers is an important feature because when the gear sets are housed in these chambers they are protected from damage by stray articles or foreign matter and are shielded against accidental personal contact therewith. In the construction and arrangement above described for these gear chambers, it will be seen that the ends of the shafts 45 and ll project thereinto and when the gear pairs of the respective gear sets are mounted on the ends of these shafts, the gear pairs will be disposed in the gear chambers in proper relation between the paired racks with which they cooperate.

As a further feature of the present invention, the depending end portions 24 and 25 of the head M are provided with pairs of laterally inwardly extending projections or lugs 61 which form rests or stops for limiting the downward movement of the slide 12. The lugs 61 are here shown as being formed integrally with the depending end portions 24 and 25 of the head and as extending laterally inwardly into embracing relation with the pairs of columns l5 and It in which location they are adapted to be engaged by the pads '58 provided on the lower plate portion 36 of the slide.

From the foregoing detailed description and the accompanying drawings it will now be readily understood that this invention provides an improved metal working press having novel slide alignment mechanism embodied therein and which will effectively prevent tilting of the slide regardless of unequal forces applied to opposite ends of the slide during the working stroke thereof. It will be seen furthermore that the shaft-connected gear gets provided at opposite ends of the press will cause a correcting force to be transmitted through the shafts whenever one end of the slide has a tendency to move at a different rate than the other end of the slide. It will also be seen that since the pairs of gears of the gear sets have the remote or diametrically opposite outer portions of their peripheries in meshing engagement with the paired racks, the maximum leverage will be obtained during the functioning of the alignment mechanism for producing a strong corrective force whenever there is a tendency for a misalignment of the slide during the operation of the press. Furthermore, it will be seen that by the provision of housing portions on the opposite ends of the frame of the press the gearing of the alignment mechanism will be housed and shielded as explained above.

Although the improved metal working press and the slide alignment mechanism thereof have been illustrated and described herein to a somewhat detailed extent it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not to be regarded as being limited correspondingly in scope but includes all changes and modifications coming within the terms of the claims hereof.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a press of the character described, a bed, pairs of columns connected with said bed adjacent the ends thereof and extending thereabove, a head connected with the pairs of columns and supported thereby above said bed, said head having a top portion extending between the pairs of columns and end portions depending from said top portion and located outwardly of said pairs of columns, a slide located beneath said top portion and between the depending end portions of said head and guided on said columns, power means operably connected with said head and slide for actuating the latter, and projections carried by the depending end portions of said head and embracing said columns and forming stops for the downward movement of said slide.

2. In a press of the character described, an upright frame structure comprising connected parts including a laterally elongated bed and a laterally elongated head disposed above and spaced from said bed, a laterally elongated slide in said frame between said head and bed and movable toward and away from the latter, a pair of substantially parallel slide alignment torque transmitting shafts extending longitudinally of said slide and rotatably journaled thereon, a pair of upright racks spaced apart transversely of said head adjacent each end thereof, pairs of gears secured to said shafts and disposed between the paired racks, said gears having meshing engagement with each other at adjacent points of their peripheries and having remote points of their peripheries in meshing engagement with said racks, said head having transversely spaced upright walls thereon located adjacent to but outwardly spaced from said remote points of the gear peripheries and forming seats for said racks, clamping screws holding said racks against said seats and adapted to be loosened to permit endwise adjusting movement of said racks while in mesh with said gears, and adjusting screws effective on said racks ad- .iacent opposite ends thereof for producing said endwise adjusting movement.

LEE B. GREEN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,469,689 Prius Oct. 2, 1923 2,068,840 Bennett et al. Jan. 26, 1937 2,217,172 Laussucq Oct. 8, 1940 2,328,258 Cannon Aug. 31, 1943 2,400,685 Collins May 21, 1946 

